Private Vords
by SprinkleOfSalt
Summary: The library was a sacred place, a safe place, and now bloody Victor Krum was living there too. A missing scene from GoF.


Him: Can I have a private vord?

Her: I'm not the one you should be asking.

Him: I don't -

Her: You're the one with a fan club following you wherever you go. The library's meant to silent and, yes, private.

Him: Ah, my stalkers -

Her: But you encourage them. Spending all your time reading in a nice open library. You could go back to your ship, where they couldn't follow you.

Him: Karkaroff is lurking there vith vorse fans. At Durmstrang, the crevices and hide-outs mean I could escape bullies and stalkers. But here -

Her: There are secrets room in Hogwarts too.

Him: But, alas, I do not know them. And I vant to take advantage of this rather marvellous library, much bigger and more organised than the one at Durmstrang.

Her: It is good, isn't it? When I first came, I couldn't believe my eyes. Now, though… for all its size, it's more limited than you'd think. Only nice governor-approved books, which only show Hogwarts in a good light, though it runs on slavery! Slavery!

Him: How so?

Her: House elves! And don't you dare say that they want to be enslaved. They're just ignorant! They make up lies about loyalty and service so it hurts less, but if they knew, if they saw that house elves could live… You know it's legal to murder them?

Him: If you – ah – own them, I believe.

Her: Own them!

Him: I agree. It reminds me, you know, how vomen could be executed by their husbands. I was reading a poem… _My Last Duchess…_

Her: That's a Muggle poem?

Him: Another area vich you might complain that the Hogwart's library is limited in. Far less than in Durmstrang, of course, _My Life as a Squib_ even is banned there.

Her: That – I didn't realise, but that explains why it's so hard to find books on Arithmancy. There's a lot of just maths in it, filthy Muggle maths.

Him: And yet with their filthy Muggle maths, Muggles are out-racing us to the moon, discovering more than wizards bother to know. The vizarding vorld is very limited there, fighting its petty vars, compared to the Muggle one.

Her: I don't think wizards understand wanting knowledge without an obvious express result.

Him: I always thought learning for the sake of learning was the most beautiful thing.

[beat]

Her: You're a Quidditch player!

Him: Vell noticed.

Her: But – you could be so much _more_ – you seem motivated, not like -.

Him: Oh, but I'm a covard. And, if you haven't noticed, being a Quidditch player is socially valued a lot higher than a researcher. I used to be this cringing library kid and hex test subject, and then in my second year, somebody gave me a broomstick, to laugh at my failure. But I vas good at it, and now Viktor Krum means Quidditch player.

Her: Do you wish you were useless at it?

Him: And remain a hex subject, Durmstrang laughing-stock… vith time to do things other than practise. The year after the World Cup is a bit of a respite. My dad let me go, for the 1000 galleon prize. I don't know.

Her: Are you… the way you talked about Muggles… Muggle-Born?

Him: Durmstrang doesn't admit Muggle-Borns. Mother is a Muggle though.

Her: I wouldn't be admitted then.

Him: Vile bastards. You're…

Her: I was always an outsiders.

Him: I can see the argument though. Is it kind to rip kids away from their family and force a new world on them?

Her: I can barely talk to my parents anymore. We have different vocabularies.

Him: But I'm glad your Slytherin didn't vin. It's nicer here – I'm glad I've met you – you're the first person who's not Quidditch who I've actually talked to.

Her: I don't dare tell them about the danger, and Voldemort, because what parent wouldn't remove their kid? And maybe I should. The Muggle's world is easier but Ron and Harry. And now you.

Him: Ve connect, in some way?

Her: You're not an airhead. At all. You're…

Him: Those private words?

Her: But the fanclub has arrived.

Him: It has.

Her: Would it be cruel if I kissed you in front of them?

Him: In front of crowd. Me.

Her: In the library. Me.


End file.
